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Classroom Update 1/6/17

Welcome 2017! The New Year is upon us and with that comes the rush of new information and the beginnings of midterms, and for some classes, finals. As we wrap up all of our last units before the finals, here is a glimpse of what we are finishing up on.

Western Civ

Emperor Nero: One of the Roman Empires ruthless leaders

In our final weeks, the students of Western Civ have begun to see the slow crumbling of the Roman Empire. We have looked at events, such as the destruction of Pompeii, as well as the terrible rulers that the Roman Empire had been under the control of during its declining years. From Caligula, a man who tried to make is HORSE a senator, to Nero, a sixteen year old diva that loved the spotlight on him. We have now turned out attention to the ultimate question as we near the end of the unit. What exactly were the causes that led to the great Roman Empire falling? Students will be writing an essay looking at the three of the four main causes that historians believe led to the Roman Empire’s ultimate demise. From there, a study guide will be given and we will begin the process of preparing for the midterm. After that, on to the Middle/ Dark Ages just to see how the fall of the Roman Empire truly effected all of Europe.

Global Studies

Saddam Hussein: Former Leader of Iran

After coming back from break and looking back at the movie Argo quickly, we have now turned our attention to the last two countries in the Middle East that we will be studying, Iraq and Afghanistan. Before jumping into Iraq, the student looked at what exactly caused the turbulence that has plagued the Middle East for so long. We discovered how the creation of boundaries placed groups together that had not gotten along well in the past, and they were expected to get along under one united government. As we can see, even to this day, those lines have created conflict. We have now moved on to looking at Iraq itself, mainly its leader for many years Saddam Hussein. The students have taken a look into the mind-set of this ruthless leader, and we will continue to learn about his need for power and to create a Pan-Arabic nation. After learning about this, we will move quickly onto Afghanistan and more importantly the Taliban’s influence on this country. Then it’s time to get ready for midterms! The year is moving quite quickly it seems.

Comparative Religions

We are reaching the end of this wonderful class with one of the most interesting religions of the year. The students have now learned about the oldest polytheistic religion in the world, Hinduism. From Vishnu, Shiva and Parvati, the students have learned how different this polytheistic religion is compared to the other Monotheistic religions we have learned in the past. Not only have we learned about the gods, but students have taken a look into how Hinduism shapes the life of those who follow it. The thought process of reincarnations, as well as the effects of Karma and Dharma on your future life is just the start. We have taken a glance at the caste system and how that created the early organization of the Hindu/Indian culture. As we look at the life cycle of someone who follows and studies the Hindu teachings, we will begin to look at the class experience as a whole and see exactly what students have taken from learning the facts and information of different religions during this semester.